Music

Muesexpo, the annual global music industry conference and showcase event, will be honoring Republic Records Co-President Wendy Goldstein with its inaugural Seymour Stein Global A&R Award. Seymour Stein, known for his discovery of such iconic artists as Madonna and the Ramones, serves as the inspiration behind the award that recognizes the dedication to nurturing and

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. There’s a reason Taylor Swift is a billionaire. After closing out her record-breaking Eras Tour earlier this month, save a few additional dates she recently added, she’s now released the “Taylor’s Version” of “1989,”

BMG has laid off an estimated 40 employees amid changes impacting its international and theatrical departments. Music Business Worldwide reports CEO Thomas Coesfeld shared the news in a company-distributed memo addressing BMG consolidating its New York and Canada-based recorded music operations into its Los Angeles office. The New York-based theatrical productions will also cease along

“Live from Daryl’s House,” the Webby Award-winning musical performance show co-hosted by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall, is returning to the web after a five-year halt in production. The long-running program will be seen on a dedicated YouTube channel starting Wednesday (Nov. 1) with an episode featuring Squeeze singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook.  New

There are quite a few things Jessi Colter, of “I’m Not Lisa” fame, is not — besides Lisa. The country music veteran laughs at the idea that she is an “outlaw queen,” even though one of her claims to fame is being one of the four participants included on the trending-setting 1976 album “Wanted! The

Britney Spears is planning to release a second volume of her hard-hitting memoir, “The Woman in Me,” in 2024, according to the pop singer. Spears shared a video of a man hitting a drum with a gavel-like instrument on her Instagram, along with a caption announcing the coming of her second volume. “Humor is the

Lance Bass believes fans should forgive Justin Timberlake amid the backlash his former NSYNC bandmate has been getting following the release of Britney Spears‘ memoir “The Woman in Me.” Spears and Timberlake started dating in 1999, when Spears was 17 years old and Timberlake was 18, and separated in 2002. In her memoir, Spears details

On the day of the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift set a Spotify record in becoming the artist with the most streams in a single day in the streaming service’s history, according to a statement from Spotify on Saturday on X. The company added that, on top of that, “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” had

A new Canadian Broadcast Corporation investigation has raised questions about the Indigenous identity of Buffy Sainte-Marie. The singer-songwriter, considered to be the first Indigenous Oscar winner for co-writing the song “Up Where We Belong” from 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman,” has long claimed she was born on a Piapot Cree reservation in 1941 in

Lizzo’s Big Grrrl touring company is coming to the singer’s defense in a new motion to dismiss the lawsuit accusing her and the company of sexual harassment, discrimination and fat-shaming, among other charges. A total of 18 of Lizzo’s employees have written lengthy declarations in dispute of the claims first filed by a trio of

Seventy years since his first Capitol Records sessions for the single “Lean Baby” and the “Songs for Young Lovers” 10″ album… 62 years since his first Reprise LP, “Ring-a-Ding-Ding!”… and 25 years since his passing, the legend of Frank Sinatra still looms large. Starting with today’s release of his “Platinum” compilation of hits and never-before-heard

Hard as it may be to imagine, at the dawn of the ‘90s, Prince was at a make-or-break point in his career, at least as a chart-busting superstar. He was one of the biggest artists in the world, but it had been several years since he’d had a real hit, and his image and public

If there’s one four-letter word guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of a superstar musician, it’s LEAK. Unauthorized, pre-release leaks of high-profile albums are the scourge of the digital-music age. Back in the day, there was relatively little threat from people copying the advance cassettes or vinyl test pressings that were sent to executives

Taylor Swift is feeling the gold rush. As the pop star releases her latest re-recorded album, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” Bloomberg reports that she has achieved billionaire status. According to a Bloomberg News analysis, Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour catapulted her net worth to $1.1 billion. “Swift Inc. is essentially a multinational conglomerate with the world’s most

Taylor Swift gave a shoutout to Kendrick Lamar on Friday morning for re-recording his “Bad Blood” remix verse for the deluxe edition of “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which is out now. “Watching @kendricklamar create and record his verses on the ‘Bad Blood’ remix was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life,” Swift wrote in

How do you seamlessly blend the connective tissue between hip-hop and classical? Easily, if you’re Metro Boomin. On Thursday night, the Atlanta producer partnered with Red Bull Symphonic to translate his music into widescreen at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, playing master of ceremonies during a precisely 90-minute set that featured a 43-piece ensemble counting strings,

It was a very good year, 1989 was. And by 1989, of course we mean 2014. That’s the year Taylor Swift put out her biggest and most transformative album, ensuring that, for the rest of our lives, any citation of “1989” will make just about anyone in the world immediaately think of “Shake It Off”

Jack Black donned his “Kung Fu Panda” character’s uniform — in other words, was shirtless — to sing Taylor Swift‘s “Anti-Hero” at a SAG-AFTRA fundraiser on Oct. 25. In fan-captured footage uploaded to X (formerly Twitter), Black is seen on onstage, having just performed a stand-up comedy set at the “Give Back-ular Spectacular!” event held

Brent Faiyaz surprised fans with the news of a new record early Thursday morning. Dubbed “Larger Than Life,” the 14-song collection serves as the follow-up to 2022’s “Wasteland,” which peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. albums chart. To amp up the excitement, Faiyaz uploaded a one-minute album teaser that follows a crew of men

Taylor Swift‘s big year is being further commemorated with a leading 20 nominations for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, followed by SZA and Morgan Wallen, who each have 17 nominations in a total of 16 categories. Other stars with a big look in the BBMAs nominations include the Weeknd, a finalist for 16 awards with

Paul McCartney and Gaumont have assembled an all-star creative crew for “High in the Clouds,” the long-awaited feature adaptation of McCartney’s children’s adventure novel. Boasting six original songs by McCartney, the family adventure movie, which is budgeted at €28 million, will be directed by Toby Genkel (“The Amazing Maurice”), scored by Michael Giacchino (“Coco,” “Inside Out”)

Hipgnosis Songs Fund — the company that led the music-catalog gold rush of recent years by spending more than $2 billion for song assets by Neil Young, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others — is facing an uncertain future as some 83.2% of its investors voted Thursday for a new board make major

What has been described as the Beatles‘ “last song,” a recently completed version of “Now and Then” that includes contributions from all four members, is about to enter the realm of the now. The long-teased track will finally reach the public’s ears in one week, on Thursday, Nov. 2. That’s not all the Beatlenews for

U2 found what they were looking for in a duet partner Wednesday night at Sphere in Las Vegas, as Lady Gaga joined the group for duets on one of her songs, “Shallow,” and two of theirs, “All I Want Is You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Bono introduced his fellow leather-jacketed

Rock bands Deep Purple and Goo Goo Dolls will headline the inaugural edition of Bandland, a new Indian music festival. Acts at the event also include American indie rockers The War on Drugs and Amyl and The Sniffers from Australia. Indian acts performing at Bandland include Parikrama, Thermal and a Quarter, both of who join

Good energy, hopeful wishes and plant-based treats nourished the intimate crowd of invited guests at Support+Feed’s first-ever annual fundraiser and dinner in Los Angeles on Oct. 24. The plant-based food initiative founded by Billie Eilish and Finneas‘ mother, Maggie Baird, brought together influential activists, philanthropists and artists for a night of awareness on environmental issues,

HarbourView Equity Partners (HarbourView) has acquired a share of Fleetwood Mac’s record royalties owned by the estate of the late Christine McVie, along with a share of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo’s publishing and recorded music assets. The deal for both artists spans the entirety of their respective careers. Benatar and Giraldo are lauded for

Q-Tip has signed on as the music producer and co-lyricist to the creative team for the upcoming musical “Ali,” based on the life of the famed heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. “Ali” will premiere in fall 2024 at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, with plans to bring the

The Country Music Association and ABC have announced the first rollout of performers for the 2023 CMA Awards telecast, foremost among them the year’s two most nominated artists: Lainey Wilson, who goes into the ceremony with nine bids, and Jelly Roll, who’ll arrive with five nominations. Others named as singing on the Nov. 8 telecast

TikTok has announced its first-ever live global music event for fans, with a lineup that includes Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta and Charlie Puth. The social media platform is set to host “In the Mix” at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on December 10. In addition to the headliners, TikTok is planning to highlight musicians